


The Land of Roses and Bridges

by DrabblingSparks (ingenious_spark)



Series: Saint Seiya prompts & short fic [198]
Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Culture Shock, Drabble, Fae & Fairies, Friendship, Gen, Hades!Shun, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Prompt Fic, Reverse Changelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 04:25:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19986070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ingenious_spark/pseuds/DrabblingSparks
Summary: Aphrodite, a Fae Lord of the Land of Roses and Bridges, is bade to come and design a new wardrobe, fit for their young, new King.





	The Land of Roses and Bridges

**Author's Note:**

> From a list of prompts over on my tumblr, [@oopsbirdficced](http://oopsbirdficced.tumblr.com).
> 
> The prompts are all written by [@normal_horoscopes](http://normal_horoscopes.tumblr.com) over on tumblr! I encourage you to check them out!

_Leo: An empire of roses and bridges. Subtle stonework hewn rough by ages of wear. Stone blossoms wilting as the season passes._

Aphrodite crosses the bridge on quick, light feet, painted lips curled in a faint, sly smile. The stone roses curling around the intricate rails are wilting now, after finally having bloomed. They’ll bloom again in spring, finally. Now that they’re reborn by the child King.

Aphrodite slips into the small garden, and smirks at the dark-clothed teenager sitting on the wrought stone bench within.

“You’re looking well, Majesty,” he murmurs lightly. His head jerks up, and Aphrodite is pleased to see that green eyes are already paling to grey, and that brown hair has almost darkened fully to black. He resembles his brother the Phoenix much more, now that he’s shedding the vestiges of his changeling shape. “My apologies, I did not mean to startle you.” He murmurs, dropping to a knee politely.

“Who are you?” The little King asks, and Aphrodite glances up through his eyelashes. Oh dear, it definitely looks like his Majesty’s wardrobe hasn’t been updated yet. The poor thing is positively swimming in heavy, shapeless black robes. Aphrodite had known it would be bad, but this is something else.

“I’m Aphrodite, Majesty. A Lord of your kingdom. I’ve come to oversee your outfitting for a new wardrobe,” he says, quite pleased. Lady Pandora was right to call him in for this task. It’s going to be very fun. The King bites his lip, and awkwardly bids him rise. Aphrodite does so, in the full knowledge that his own layered, gossamer outfit is very lovely. A testament to his work. He gracefully produces a white, dew-touched rose and offers it to the King. It’s one of his own breeding, for sucking the blood from mortals. The King will be safe from those thorns, though, as he’s shed most of the guise of his mortality, if not his manner.

“I believe Pandora mentioned you,” he agrees, accepting the rose with careful fingers. Aphrodite applauds his caution internally. “Why are you here, though, and not in my audience chamber to be announced. My… my brother will be cross.” He says, and there’s a faint spark of wonder there. As though he’s not used to having a brother. Which, of course, he must not. Lord Ikki the Phoenix has been searching for his stolen brother for a very long time, after all.

“Nay, Majesty, twas he that bid me come silent to your side when I arrived,” he says, a touch smug, but gentling again quickly, sitting next to the King on the bench and offering a hand. When he lays his own within, Aphrodite quickly curls both of his around it in a comforting manner. “I know what it’s like,” he murmurs very softly. This is a secret he tells so few, after all. The King looks up, curious.

“What do you know? Please, call me Shun,” the King, the child, _Shun_ , requests, tone matching Aphrodite’s.

“I know you’re afraid, Shun. That you’ve been told stories of the Fae, of how they are and what they do. That your face is changing and you can barely recognize yourself in the mirror. That you don’t know if you can trust anyone. If people are just playing you for a fool.” Shun draws back, eyes wide and shocked, but Aphrodite doesn’t relinquish his hand. “I know, Shun.” He says, with a raw, vulnerable tenderness he shows to precious few. “It happened to me as well. I was a faery child left as a changeling, while a human child was spirited away. Just like you, when I returned here I had to find myself again. Lord Ikki knows this, and that’s why he bade me come and comfort you.” Shun’s eyes fill with tears, and Aphrodite presses a handkerchief into his hand, releasing his hold.

“Thank you,” Shun says presently, after the sobs subside. He’s nestled in Aphrodite’s arms now, and Aphrodite doesn’t mind giving him a measure of comfort like this. He would have given anything for someone who understood when he had been in this position, after all.

“Indeed. Though I am actually here to fit you for your wardrobe as the new King of Roses and Bridges.” He mentions. Shun wrinkles his nose a little, sitting up properly

“That seems like such a silly title,” he sighs, and Aphrodite laughs softly.

“It’s very literal, though,” he returns, glancing around. The small garden has a channel of water flowing around it in a circle, and there’s five different bridges out of the garden. Most of the plants within are rose bushes, and there are more stone roses decorating each bridge, and even the worn stone bench they’re perched on.

“Literal indeed,” Shun sighs, smiling a little. It’s a tired, but honest expression, and Aphrodite finds it suits the young King much better than the pervasive sense of melancholy he had held before.

“Come now, you must tell me your favorite colors and style preferences,” he says, standing and offering the young King a hand up. “After all, I was called in to work!”

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
> 
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End file.
